Never Forgive, Even In Death
by xxmonochromekissxx
Summary: Ciel and Sebastian are requested to investigate a string of suspicious deaths in a secluded village. Ciel is reluctant to believe a curse is responsible, but is the cause something supernatural? And what dark secrets are the villagers hiding? Implied sebaciel in later chapters. Rated M for dark themes.
1. Prologue

_This is gonna be a multi-chapter fic since I have most of the plot planned out. I have serious writers block with my other fic so I felt I needed a break from it. Don't worry guys, I will get round to continuing On The Ride Home…eventually…_

To the outside world, Wintercrest Village looked like a typical picturesque English village. The village was situated far away from any large towns and surrounded by beautiful green meadows. But this quiet little place harboured a dark secret.

It was late afternoon when the residents started to gather in the village square, staring down in shock at the body of a young girl. She was laid out on the hard stone floor with blood pooling out beneath her.

The girl was only nine years old. Only moments before she had been in her bedroom playing with a child's tea set and a collection of small dolls, like any normal young girl would. But then without reason, the girl had stood up and walked over to the large windows, opened them, and jumped out on to the floor of the village square below.

Her mother had been the first to run outside and see her body lying there. The loud screams of grief had attracted the attention of the other villagers, and now they were all gathered in the same spot. The dull grey sky and the slowly falling rain seemed to fit well with the horrifically depressing scene.

"Molly! My baby! My darling!" her mother cried out in anguish, collapsing on to her knees. The other residents exchanged frightened looks with each other. It wasn't just shock or sorrow they felt, it was pure fear. This scene of a child dying far too young was becoming a regular occurrence for them.

"This is the eighth suicide now!" one of the men screamed out.

"What do we do?! All of our children are dying!" another woman cried, clinging to her husband in despair.

"Please everyone, join me in prayer! If we beg God for forgiveness then he will save us from this curse!" the village priest pleaded with the crowd.

"What good will praying do us now?! God has abandoned us!" one of the local workers shouted back. The villagers proceeded to scream and shout out hysterically. But one man in the crowd managed to stay calm among the chaos.

Doctor Edward Ackerman, a well-dressed man in his early forties stepped into the centre of the crowd, raising his arms in the air to grab everyone's attention. He did his best to ignore the body on the floor, focusing instead on the many frightened faces that stared at him.

"Everyone, listen to me! These incidents have gone on long enough. We can't leave things to continue like this. I know none of you will want to hear this, but we need outside help. I can send for someone from London to help us. We can't manage on our own."

His speech was cut off abruptly, interrupted with angry shouts of abuse from the crowd.

"We don't need help from any outsiders!"

"Those big city dwellers won't want to help us! Don't bring those people here!"

"Just leave here Ackerman! You never really have been one of us!"

Doctor Ackerman grimaced a little at the angry chants but managed to maintain his calm exterior.

"Can you really say I am not one of you? This curse has robbed me of my own child hasn't it?" he asked. The crowd soon fell silent again.

"Have any of you got any other ideas? Is there any other possible solutions you can come up with?" he asked in the same calm tone. His logical and cool demeanour conflicted with the tragic circumstances. More silence followed as the crowd exchanged confused glances.

"Then we have no choice. It has finally come to this" he concluded, walking back through the crowd. It didn't really matter to him anymore whether they approved of his methods or not. No matter what anyone said, he had made up his mind what needed to be done.

He returned to the study in his home, pushing aside the various research papers and medical notes he had accumulated over the years. Sitting down at his desk, he started to write his correspondence, explaining as best he could the problem his village was faced with.

"If anyone in this world can help us, it will be those two" he mumbled to himself.


	2. A matter of great urgency

It was early morning when Sebastian entered his master's bedroom, walking over to the window and pulling the curtains open. "Good morning, young master. It is time to get up" he said with a smile as sun light flooded the room. He turned back to look at his master's sleeping form.

Ciel was lying on his side in the middle of the king-sized bed, facing the window. He let out a soft groan after Sebastian spoke, turning on to his other side and pulling the silk covers over his head. Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at his cute behaviour.

"This morning I've prepared fresh croissants and strawberry jam, with Ceylon tea" Sebastian added, returning to the breakfast trolley he had wheeled into the room. As he slowly poured the tea into a cup, his master pulled back the silk covers from his head and sat up slowly. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and let out a soft yawn.

Ciel's morning routine more or less stayed the same each day, and this morning was no different. After finishing the breakfast his butler had prepared for him, Ciel sat on the edge of the bed and waited for his clothes for the day to be brought to him.

"What's my schedule for today?" Ciel asked as his butler began to undress him out of his nightshirt.

"You have no appointments or lessons scheduled for today, young master. But a letter did arrive for you this morning" Sebastian replied as he started to dress him.

"A letter?" Ciel asked, his mismatched coloured eyes full of curiosity.

"Yes, from a Dr Edward Ackerman. The envelope states that it is regarding a matter of great urgency" Sebastian replied.

Ciel let out an annoyed sigh. After days of various business meetings with people he didn't care for his schedule had finally opened up. And yet it seemed that instead of being able to spend a few days at leisure, he would have to investigate another case.

Once he was fully dressed Ciel walked towards his study, gesturing for his butler to follow him. He sat down at his desk and held his hand out expectantly.

"So, where is the letter?" he asked. Sebastian handed him the letter.

Ciel turned the envelope over in his hands. The writing was neat and elegant, and was stamped with a crest with two snakes intersecting each other. The crest indicated the sender was from the medical profession. As Sebastian had mentioned, underneath the address were the words _A matter of great urgency._

"Since this is neither from the Queen or Scotland Yard, it most likely isn't a matter of urgency for me" Ciel said dismissively as he opened the envelope. He started to read through the letter, his expression remaining bored. "Wintercrest, hm?" he mumbled.

"I believe it is a small village in the north of the country, young master" Sebastian said.

Ciel simply nodded in response as he carried on reading. His expression changed as he finished reading, placing the letter down on the desk. As he looked through the photographs that had been enclosed he grew more and more discontent.

"Is something troubling you, young master?" Sebastian asked curiously.

"Take a look at this" Ciel replied, thrusting the collection of photographs towards him. Ciel looked up at his butler and waited for his response.

"Ah… so the victims are all young children. That is rather unfortunate." Sebastian offered as a reply.

"It's not just that they are young children, Sebastian. What else do you notice?" Ciel asked.

His butler took a moment to look at the photographs again, this time more carefully. There were eight photographs in total. Each one of them showed a young child's body, all of which had died in different ways. Written on the back of each photograph was a brief description of how they died. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he read each one.

"All suicides?" he asked curiously.

"Exactly; This Dr Ackerman seems to believe this village is cursed or possessed" Ciel replied, leaning back in his chair.

"And? What is your opinion young master?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, eight children committing suicide in such a short space of time is certainly not normal. But I don't want to jump to conclusions" Ciel replied, closing his eyes for a moment. He stayed like that for a moment, deep in his thoughts.

"Most likely it is some trickster leading people to believe that some devil or other being is at work here. Although taking the lives of innocent children and staging them as suicides is going too far" Ciel added.

"So you don't believe it could be some other being?" Sebastian asked curiously. He received a glare from Ciel.

"Don't be absurd. This is the work of a very cunning and cruel human. No more, no less" Ciel told him firmly.

"You seem quite reluctant to consider that a possibility. But isn't there a supernatural being stood right in front of you? Am I not a demon? Have you not come into contact with shinigamis?" Sebastian asked with a small smirk on his face.

"I have no problem believing in demons and shinigamis for I have seen them with my own eyes. But I am not going to jump to conclusions. I will solve this logically. Only when I have definitive proof will I believe that something like a curse is responsible" Ciel told him. He then looked up at his butler again, giving him a quizzical look.

"Sebastian… can you think of any reason for a demon or a shinigami to do this?" Ciel asked.

"I'm afraid I can't, young master. Shinigami's only collect souls once humans die. They don't cause a person's death. As for a demon, I suppose it is possible but it is very rare for a demon to consume many souls in one place without forming contracts" Sebastian explained.

"I see…" Ciel said quietly, leaning back in his chair once again. He stared down at the letter he had received once again. The name Ackerman sounded familiar to him but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it.

"Sebastian, have I met this Dr Ackerman?" he asked.

"No, young master. But he is a very well respected doctor who often visits London and helps treat patients in hospitals here. I hear he has made some groundbreaking discoveries in the field of medicine and published a great deal of medical papers" Sebastian replied.

"Tch… why on earth would a well respected doctor stay in such a dreary place? This Wintercrest place…I've never even heard of it" Ciel mumbled. From what information was provided in the letter, the village in question sounded like an extremely small and isolated place. A place that stayed firm in its traditions and didn't welcome outsiders gladly. And yet the deaths of eight young children were something Ciel refused to overlook. Finally making his decision he stood from his desk.

"Sebastian. We are going to this Wintercrest to investigate. Go and pack what we will need and prepare our carriage" he said in a commanding tone.

Sebastian smirked as he sensed the confidence and determination stirring within Ciel's soul.

"Yes, my lord" he replied as he bowed to him in his usual way. He then turned to walk out of the study and to carry out his master's orders.

As he stood outside the door of the study his smirk widened, his red eyes flashing a bright shade of magenta.

 _Ah, what an interesting young master I have. Such a powerful soul for such a small child._


	3. A long journey

In under an hour Sebastian had packed and prepared everything they would need for their trip, just as his master had ordered. He also prepared a carriage so they would be ready to leave that morning.

Before they left, Ciel ordered Sebastian to inform Scotland Yard of where they were going, and to send correspondence to the Queen. After all, it wouldn't do for Scotland Yard or the Queen to request Ciel's assistance if he was no longer in London to help them. While Sebastian was carrying out his duties, he asked his master if he should also inform Lady Elizabeth of his absence. Ciel simply scoffed at this, saying if she wished to visit him while they were away she would find out for herself soon enough. Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at this.

Once all the preparations had been made and the carriage had arrived, all that remained was to inform the remaining servants of their departure. Of course, there was no need to tell them why they were leaving. They didn't need to know the details of the case.

"The young master and I will be absent for a while so make sure you look after the manor while we are gone" Sebastian informed them while his master waited inside the carriage. He gave the three of them a serious look. "Don't accidentally blow it up or anything like that" he added with complete seriousness.

"Yes, Mr Sebastian!" the three servants responded in unison, each saluting him in a rather over the top fashion.

"Mr Sebastian, how will long you be gone for?" Meyrin asked timidly.

"I'm afraid I don't know. The business we have to attend to is rather complicated, and is in a faraway village in the north of the country. So we will be gone for a few weeks at least" Sebastian replied. He glanced at his pocket watch as he spoke.

"Alright, I can see ya in a hurry. Don't worry about us, sir. We got things under control" Bard said confidently.

"Then I will leave everything in your hands" Sebastian said with as best a fake smile as he could manage.

The three servants waved enthusiastically with huge grins on their faces until the carriage had driven away and disappeared over the horizon, while Tanaka sat alongside them saying "ho, ho, ho". Despite their smiles and waves, the three were already feeling depressed at the thought of not having Ciel and Sebastian around for such a long period of time. But they had grown used to it at this point.

The village of Wintercrest was an incredibly long distance away from Ciel's home and it would be almost impossible to travel all the way there in a carriage. The carriage took them as far as the train station. Sebastian helped his master out and then promptly paid the coachman before gathering up their luggage.

"Which platform?" Ciel asked as he started to walk ahead of his butler.

"Platform Three, young master" Sebastian replied as he picked up the large suitcase and carried it over one shoulder. As the two of them walked along, many of the people in the station turned to give Sebastian an odd stare, most likely wondering how on earth any man could carry such a large suitcase on his shoulder with just one arm. But Sebastian paid them no notice. Ciel glanced over at Sebastian as they arrived on their platform.

"Sebastian, now we're here put that thing done. You're drawing unwanted attention" he told him in a scolding tone.

"My apologies, young master" Sebastian replied as he placed the large suitcase down on the ground beside his feet. Shortly after that they stopped receiving any intrigued stares.

It wasn't long before their train arrived, steam billowing out from the top as it pulled into the station. Ciel and Sebastian made their way to the first class carriages. Luckily for them there weren't many other passengers boarding in first class. There were a small handful of smartly dressed lords and ladies, most likely visiting their country manor to get away from the busy chaos of London.

Ciel climbed into one of the compartment carriages and sat himself down on the large comfortable seat provided. Sebastian lifted the suitcase into the luggage rack above them and then took his seat opposite Ciel. Within a few minutes the train guard blew his whistle and the train slowly pulled out of the station.

At first Ciel stared absentmindedly out of the window as the scenery rolled by. But it wasn't long before he was pulling the letter from Dr Ackerman out of his coat pocket and reading through it again.

"Young master, is there any need for you to do that?" Sebastian asked from his place opposite.

"I want to be clear of all the facts in my possession before we get there" Ciel replied, not bothering to look up from the letter.

"There isn't anything we can do until we arrive there, and it will be a long journey. Why don't you try and get some rest?" Sebastian asked. Ciel simply nodded in response, letting out a small "mmhm…" sound.

"You are very kind hearted, young master" Sebastian said suddenly. Ciel looked up at him, giving him a quizzical look.

"Where did that come from all of a sudden?" he asked.

"But it's true, isn't it? You've been so deep in thought ever since this case was brought to your attention. That means you care, doesn't it?" he replied, smiling.

"Of course I care…murdering young children is completely unforgiveable" Ciel said in a serious tone. "I can't simply ignore this problem when it is in my power to do something about it."

"Most members of the aristocracy would." Sebastian replied.

"Yes, but I am not like them" Ciel said before letting out a depressed sigh, folding up the letter and placing it back into his pocket. "But I suppose you're right. For now, there isn't anything I can do."

Ciel moved into a lying position, spreading himself out across the length of the seat. Sebastian sat opposite him as the busy city of London disappeared into the distance. The large industrial areas were soon replaced by the green open space of the countryside. As they travelled deeper into the north of the country, the temperature grew colder and Ciel shivered slightly in his sleep.

Sebastian removed his long black coat and draped it over Ciel's body, as if tucking him into bed. "Sleep well, Ciel" he whispered into his master's ear affectionately before returning to his seat.

Sebastian leant back in his chair, looking over at Ciel's sleeping form. He looked peaceful and incredibly beautiful when he slept. Sebastian had always thought so, ever since he had first had the honour of seeing it.

 _Ah, Ciel…You've suffered so much and seen so many dark things, yet you turn that sorrow into strength and move forward. Even now you are kind and strive to help others out of their despair._

He took one last look at his master before letting out a small sigh and closing his eyes.

 _That's why I've fallen in love with you. It defies all logic and reason but I love you…so much._


	4. Arriving in Wintercrest

When the train finally arrived at their destination, Ciel had been asleep for over two hours. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, blushing a little when he saw his butler's coat draped over him.

Ciel felt more tired than before he had been asleep. His head hurt and his legs were stiff from sleeping in the same position for so long. Stepping off the train and on to the platform he grimaced at the bitter chill in the air.

"Good grief...why is it so cold?" Ciel asked irritably.

"Well, we are in the north of the country now, young master" Sebastian replied, chuckling softly as they left the station.

"I'm aware. But I didn't think there would be that much difference" Ciel replied.

Outside the train station was a number of horse and carriages, coach drivers eagerly waiting for some customers. Sebastian walked up to the nearest one and opened the door of the carriage for his master.

"Where to, sirs?" the coach driver asked.

"Wintercrest" Ciel stated simply as he climbed up into the carriage.

"Wintercrest? No folks want to go there, sir. The place is cursed. No good can come of going to that place" the driver responded, shaking his head with a solemn look.

"So I hear" Ciel said, rolling his eyes. He clicked his fingers towards Sebastian, gesturing for him to pay the man.

"We'll pay you well for your troubles" Sebastian told him as he reached into his coat pocket.

"I'm telling you, sir. I will not go there! I don't care how much you be carrying" the driver snapped back impatiently.

Sebastian smirked as he handed the man a large sack of money, waiting expectantly. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open in shock as he stared at the large amount. The man had most likely never seen so much money in all his life.

Ciel tapped his fingers impatiently. "Sebastian, what's the hold up?" he shouted from the carriage.

Before Sebastian could reply, the driver shook his hand enthusiastically. "Oh, God bless you, sir! God bless you!" he gasped before climbing up into the driver's seat.

Sebastian chuckled as he climbed into the carriage beside Ciel, bringing the large case with their luggage inside. As soon as he closed the door behind him the carriage pulled away from the station.

"I don't believe he has any more objections to taking us to our destination" Sebastian said, smirking.

"Simple people are satisfied with simple things" Ciel responded. He pulled his coat tighter around him, shivering from the cold. "It's not much warmer in here" he mumbled softly.

As the carriage brought them closer to Wintercrest, the air seemed to grow even colder and the roads became increasingly treacherous and uneven. Ciel folded his arms and pouted angrily as the carriage shook about.

"Are you alright, young master? You look extremely displeased about something" Sebastian asked, chuckling softly.

"Of course I'm displeased. It's freezing cold! Not to mention this damn carriage won't stop moving!" he snapped back. Ciel let out a surprised gasp as the carriage shook again, causing him to tumble into Sebastian's lap. His cheeks flushed pink as he leant against his butler's chest.

"Are you trying to hug me, young master? I feel honoured" Sebastian said teasingly, a smirk on his lips.

"What?! No! I'm doing nothing of the sort! I fell!" Ciel shouted as he struggled to get up. Sebastian gently pulled Ciel into his lap, holding him against his chest.

"Perhaps it would be easier if you stayed here, young master. You won't be bounced around so much. And you may feel warmer in my arms" Sebastian whispered, causing Ciel's cheeks to flush an even darker shade of pink.

"That won't be necessary" Ciel replied as he attempted to climb out of Sebastian's lap once more. He had barely managed to return to his previous position when he was jolted back into Sebastian's lap again.

"Tch... fine..." he mumbled softly against Sebastian's waistcoat. Sebastian chuckled as he pulled Ciel on to his legs and wrapped his arms around his master's waist. Ciel rested his head against Sebastian's shoulder. His cheeks were still flushed pink from embarrassment.

"Is that better, young master?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes, thank you" Ciel replied. He instinctively pressed himself against his butler's body. "You feel nice and warm" he mumbled.

Even with Ciel in a much more comfortable position, the journey still felt painfully long. He felt incredibly relieved when the carriage finally came to an abrupt halt.

"We're here, good sirs!" the driver called out to them.

Ciel eagerly climbed from Sebastian's lap and stepped out of the carriage into the cold northern air. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he suspected he wouldn't like it. Sebastian climbed out after him, picking up the large case and placing it down on the floor.

Before he could turn to thank the driver, the man had already snapped the reins of his horses. Ciel and Sebastian stared in bewilderment as the carriage sped off into the distance, quickly disappearing over the horizon.

"He certainly seems to be in a hurry" Sebastian commented.

"Good grief...what sort of place have we come to?" Ciel asked.

The sky above them was a dull grey, dominated by dark clouds. There was a bitter chill in the air as the wind rushed past them, forcing Ciel to clutch on tightly to his top hat and cane. Directly in front of them was a rotting wooden sign with the words _Wintercrest Village_ scrawled on to it.

Just up ahead an uneven country path was the village itself. The small houses were almost hidden away by the surrounding forest, their brown slate roofs only barely visible.

"Wintercrest, indeed. It's ridiculously cold and dreary considering it's supposed to be Spring" Ciel huffed as he walked towards the houses.

"It seems to be in a permanent state of Winter. Perhaps it really is cursed, young master?" Sebastian asked with a chuckle.

"Don't be silly, Sebastian. The place is merely unpleasant. Not cursed." Ciel replied, letting out an irritable sigh.

As they walked into the village square, Ciel could feel the harsh glares from the local residents. The women retreated into their homes, slamming their doors and drawing their curtains as the two of them walked by. The men stayed where they were, quietly muttering to each other.

"Stay close, young master" Sebastian whispered, gently placing his hands on Ciel's shoulders.

Ciel stopped suddenly as he spotted two small children playing outside one of the cottages. He guessed their ages must have been no more than six or seven. They gazed up at him, a fearful look in their eyes.

"Young master, let's find Dr Ackerman" Sebastian said, still holding on to Ciel's shoulders.

"It's fine, Sebastian. They're only children" Ciel replied as he brushed his butler's hands from his shoulders. He slowly made his way over to the children, trying his best to smile.

"Hello. Do you know where-" he started to ask, but was quickly cut off as the children stood up and scurried away, leaving their wooden toys behind them. A woman appeared at the doorway of the house, presumably the children's mother. Ciel stared in shock as the woman glared furiously at him, wrapping her arms protectively around the children before slamming the door.

"This is a bit more hostile than I expected..." Ciel murmured, still staring bewildered at the closed door.

Turning away he looked around at the village square, seeing only two other people who hadn't locked themselves away in their homes. A few feet away from them were two labourers standing near a cart with various building materials piled on to it. Ciel suspected that he would receive another hostile reception from them, but he was growing rather impatient.

"Young master, is this a wise decision?" Sebastian asked as Ciel slowly made his way over to them.

"We can't continue to wander around aimlessly all day Sebastian. And they are the only people here" Ciel replied with a huff.

As Ciel approached the two men purposefully turned away, their backs facing him.

"Excuse me; do you perhaps know where I can find Dr Ackerman?" Ciel asked nervously.

The two men continued to keep their backs turned, ignoring him completely. Ciel huffed angrily, his eye twitching slightly in annoyance. Clearing his throat loudly to draw their attention, he prepared to ask them again.

"Excuse me! Where I can find Dr Ackerman?!" Ciel shouted a great deal louder. The two labourers turned to face him, glaring furiously at him.

"None of your business, little lad" the taller man replied in a patronising tone.

Sebastian stood close behind Ciel, his hands firmly placed on his shoulders as he tried to lead him away. But Ciel wasn't giving up that easily.

"It is my business. I was invited here" Ciel retorted.

"Not by us, you wasn't. Now clear off or you'll be sorry" the shorter man piped up, throwing his cigarette on to the ground as he took a step closer to Ciel. Sebastian quickly stepped in front of Ciel, shielding him.

"Don't threaten my young master" he told the man darkly, his red eyes glaring at them.

"Or what?" the taller of the two asked, both of them now returning Sebastian's glare. Ciel gulped nervously at the tense situation, gently tugging at his butler's sleeve. He didn't want to start a fight when they had only just arrived.

Before Sebastian could return the man's threat, a man in his early forties with dark hair and large glasses walked briskly towards them. He was much better dressed than the other residents they had seen, with a smart grey suit and tie.

"Gentleman, please. These two are our guests. Well...my guests at least" the man told them, his tone gentle but firm.

The men looked incredibly displeased but said no more, returning to their work.

"I presume you are-" Ciel began to say but stopped abruptly as the man reached a hand out, firmly shaking his.

"Yes, I am Dr Edward Ackerman, the person who called you here. It is an honour to meet you at last Lord Phantomhive" was the overly polite reply he received.


	5. Important Message

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

 _I am no longer posting anything new on and I've moved to archiveofourown. If you want to continue reading my stuff then you can find me with the name monochromekiss_

 _This fanfiction in particular I won't be continuing. However a friend and I wrote a collab that is now completed based on the same plot idea. It's entitled Children of Bluebells_


End file.
